By the time they returned to the mansion, Fulun had already bought plenty of ingredients, cooking tools, blankets, and other necessities. Seeing this, Qin Jun realized there were no personal tents available. He casually forged one himself and stored it in his inventory space.

Hena was about to slip quietly to her room when Qin Jun called out, "Hena, are you coming with me when I leave?"

Hena hesitated for a moment before replying, "I’ll stay here to watch over the mansion. This world is too dangerous for me."

Qin Jun knew she was just making excuses to avoid leaving with him. With him around, what danger could there possibly be?

He nodded. "Fair enough. I plan to take only Fulun with me. I’ll order Amov and the other two to serve as your guards."

Hena opened her mouth to refuse but suddenly remembered how hard survival was alone in this world. She truly needed protection. She gave a reluctant nod.

Qin Jun asked again, "Would you like to learn magic? I know a girl who could take you under her wing. I wanted to hear your thoughts first."

Hena shook her head firmly. "No, thank you."

Qin Jun didn’t press further. "Then that’s all. You may go."

After Hena left, Qin Jun assigned Amov and his two companions to guard her. Though unwilling, they had no choice but to obey.

Finally, it was time to bid farewell to the city. He’d promised to visit Fili before leaving.

This time, he didn’t enter through the front door. Instead, he turned invisible and slipped straight into Fili’s room, startling her. She pouted at her Big Brother Dante. "Big Brother Dante! You scared me!"

Qin Jun’s face softened with affection. "How could I ever scare you? I was just teasing." He gently lifted the snake from her shoulder and played with it in his palm.

Fili’s eyes lit up. "Big Brother Dante, are you taking me out to play? I’ve been so bored these past few days! Father won’t let me leave the house. He wants me to wait quietly for the Academy teachers to escort me away."

Qin Jun smiled. "Isn’t that good? You’ll finally learn magic."

Fili’s expression dimmed. "But I won’t see you anymore. Last time, you just... left without a word after I returned from Father’s."

Qin Jun chuckled. "You never came to visit. With nothing to do, of course I had to leave. Wouldn’t you have done the same?"

Fili shook her head stubbornly. "No. I’d wait for you, Big Brother Dante. I’d wait until you came back."

Qin Jun laughed softly. "Should I call you honest... or just silly?"

Fili huffed. "Fili isn’t silly! Big Brother Dante is silly! Hmph!"

"Alright, alright," Qin Jun conceded with a grin. "Your silly brother isn’t here to play today. I’ve come to say goodbye."

Fili had been ready to tease him back, but his words hit her like a thunderbolt. Her eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up.

Qin Jun quickly soothed her. "My little Fili’s a crybaby now? We won’t be apart forever. Remember our promise? When you reach level 99, we’ll never separate again, right?"

Fili sniffled. "But that’s so long... so long before I see you again."

Qin Jun rubbed his temples. "Who said I won’t visit before then? I’d miss having such a lovely little sister out of sight."

At that, Fili’s tears vanished as quickly as they’d appeared. Qin Jun sighed inwardly—women’s tears truly came and went like the wind.

She bargained eagerly, "Then Big Brother Dante must visit me once a month!"

Qin Jun shook his head. "Impossible. I’ll be traveling far and wide. Besides, once a month isn’t enough to see how amazing my Fili’s becoming."

Fili’s eyes sparkled. "Really?"

"Of course," Qin Jun lied smoothly, the picture of a creepy uncle dangling a lollipop before a child.

Fili still haggled. "Then... twice a year?"

Qin Jun smiled. "That I can do."

Fili finally brightened. "Pinky promise?"

"Alright," Qin Jun agreed.

They sealed their promise once more.

But then Fili frowned in worry. "What if... what if you can’t find me in six months, Big Brother Dante? How will you know where I am?"

Qin Jun chuckled. "Don’t worry. I’ll give you a bracelet. Wear it, and I’ll always know your location. It also speeds up your mana recovery and can activate a shield three times to block a single attack from a level 90+ foe."

He’d crafted it on the spot. The shield function was actually unlimited, with a passive ability to automatically deflect harmful magic on contact. He’d limited it to three uses to prevent Fili from relying on it too much—and to keep her training hard.

Fili didn’t care about the bracelet’s power. All she cared about was whether her Big Brother Dante could find her. With that worry gone, she beamed and begged him to stay and chat longer.

As Qin Jun chatted with Fili, an unexpected guest arrived—Fili’s father. He’d heard rumors that the man who’d escaped the Monster Forest with Fili had returned.

Suspicion gnawed at him. Was this man exploiting his naive daughter? Even if not, their statuses were worlds apart. He couldn’t risk Fili being led astray.

He cleared his throat sharply. "Fili, have you finished studying the magic texts I assigned? Or are you just playing?" His glare wasn’t aimed at Fili, but at Qin Jun—a warning to back off.

Qin Jun had sensed the city lord’s arrival long ago. He understood a father’s protectiveness, but this hostility was unreasonable.

He smiled politely at the city lord. "You must be the city lord. Fili and I survived the Monster Forest together. We share a bond. I was merely bidding my friend farewell. Please don’t blame Fili for neglecting her studies."

Fili pleaded, "Father..."

The city lord ignored her, addressing Qin Jun coldly. "I see. You may leave now."

Qin Jun bowed slightly. "Then I take my leave."

Before departing, he turned to Fili. "Goodbye, Fili." He winked at her over Ranor Pag’s shoulder, using magic transmission to whisper, "Remember our promise. Don’t blame your father—he only worries for you."

Fili nodded silently, ignoring her father as she sulked off to read.

The city lord felt satisfied. His daughter was no ordinary girl now—she had a level 80+ Monstrous Beast companion and an invitation to the Imperial Academy. His face was saved. He couldn’t let riffraff like this man corrupt her.

What he didn’t know was that without Qin Jun—and their promise to reunite at level 99—Fili would never have agreed to join the Academy. Without Qin Jun, she wouldn’t even have that powerful beast.

He’d missed a golden chance to befriend a remarkable man. And Qin Jun? He was already regretting not teaching this arrogant city lord a lesson during the necromancer incident.